Bosh makes himself fit in Heat's ever-changing puzzle

"A high IQ for the game," he said following Bosh's 31-point performance in Thursday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

To Bosh, it was just common sense.

With Dwyane Wade sidelined for a week by knee issues, and with an increased amount of time next to another big man, either Chris Andersen or Greg Oden, Bosh has found himself having to consistently redefine his game.

He said the latest challenges have led him to a good place.

The adjustments without Wade in the lineup figure to eventually require a readjustment, with the Heat insisting the guard's absence is due to routine maintenance.

"It allows me to be more aggressive, as far as creating for other guys and myself is concerned," Bosh said of playing without Wade. "The spacing is a little bit different. It allows me to kind of be more creative out here, because we always want to get Dwyane going and that's a part of it.

"When he's in the game, he's going to be in that post, and that's when I'm the recipient of a lot of passes, a lot of screens and rolls. He hits me. It's more receiving as far as creating."

Then there is the increased time alongside another big man, primarily Andersen.

"It's a little bit of an adjustment. But I'm getting used to it. It's a work in progress and I think I was able to make a good stride," Bosh said of Thursday's 15-of-22 effort from the field. "It's kind of working a little better. I'm getting used to the rhythm of the game going from the five to the four and then back."

Andersen is easing that rhythm, having spent most of his time with the Denver Nuggets playing alongside another skilled big man.

"I played with Nene and Kenyon Martin in Denver," he said. "To be on the floor with Chris Bosh, that combination right there, alone, is better for us to get rebounds and to be able to defend and be able to rotate big to big, no matter if it's a four or a five."

A Wade return appears imminent. Whether Spoelstra continues to move away from small ball is less clear.

So Bosh said he savors the moments when the Heat's game so closely meshes with his own game, especially these opportunities when getting 20 shots is more than an abstract.

"I like it. It's fun," he said. "Yeah, especially when they're going in. You go 8 for 20, that's no fun. But when the shots are falling and my teammates are looking for me, it's a good feeling."

That certainly has been the case for the Heat, as well, now 12-0 over Bosh's four seasons with the Heat when he has scored 30 or more.

As it was, Thursday was Bosh's 250th game for the Heat, with his 17.6 scoring average with the team the fifth-highest in franchise history and his 7.5 rebounding average the ninth highest in the franchise's 26 seasons.

Because of the IQ factor, Spoelstra is confident Bosh can figure out the equation no matter how the lineup is configured.

"He has that great understanding, balance, of when to be aggressive reading the game and when to facilitate," he said. "He has a great temperament for that."

Wade wait

The hope within the team is that Wade returns from his four-game absence Sunday against the Spurs, the Heat's only game over a five-day span.

"Any time a guy misses multiple games in a row, you have some sense of concern," forward LeBron James said. "Having him on the floor makes us more dangerous. But at the end of the day, having him healthy makes us more dangerous, too.

"You just sit and wait and see what happens."

Spoelstra continues to talk only in generalities about Wade's status.

"It's the reality of this team," he said. "And how many ever games it is, or if other guys are out, we have to adapt."